Numerous situations occur in which it is desirable to provide a constant source of water to growing plants. Perhaps the most common of these situations is the Christmas tree, which is a key part of the traditional celebration of the Christmas holiday season. A tree is usually supported in a stand with a mechanism for holding the tree upright and a water reservoir. The base of the tree and the stand may be made more attractive with a skirt that surrounds the tree. Typically, in a home, wrapped, unopened gifts are placed around the base of the tree prior to Christmas day. In commercial settings, attractively wrapped boxes that simulate wrapped presents are often placed about the base of the tree.
Evergreen trees are usually cut some time prior to the holiday season for use as Christmas trees, and they tend to dry out during storage and display. In addition, if the cut end of the tree trunk is not immersed in water, a seal of resin will form over the end, and the tree will not be able to absorb water through the cut end. If a tree becomes too dry, it can present a fire hazard. In addition, needles drop off branches as the tree dries out, resulting in a messy accumulation of needles under the tree and a loss of the esthetic character of the tree. Thus, it is desirable to provide water to the tree to help prevent excessive drying of the tree. An average tree consumes between a quart and a gallon of water per day, and will dry out quickly if water is not provided. Although most Christmas tree stands include a bowl or receptacle that can be filled with water for absorption through the tree trunk, low tree branches extending outward from the tree trunk and stacked gifts around the base of the tree often make it difficult to access the water receptacle for refilling and replacing the water that evaporates and is taken up by the tree.
A number of watering systems have been described previously that can be located some distance away from the base of the tree and include a conduit for transporting water to a receptacle in the tree stand. Many of these systems include electrically operated pumps and/or valves which require connection to an electrical outlet via a cord between the device and the outlet. Extending a cord between the tree and a wall can create a tripping safety hazard, and it may also limit where a tree can be placed in a room if the tree must be located fairly close to an electrical outlet. In some homes, as well as in some commercial settings, it may be desirable to place a tree further away from an outlet or even in the middle of a room, such as in the lobby of a commercial building. In addition, there are potential hazards from short circuits if water is spilled or if a spark ignites a somewhat dry tree or an accumulation of dry needles.
Other watering systems have been described that do not require connection to a source of electricity, but they include special tree stands and/or specialized hardware or parts for proper function. Examples of such specialized parts include protective sleeves and side guards to prevent crushing of the conduit, metal rods that prevent the end of the conduit from resting on the bottom of the water receptacle in the tree stand, and rigid tubes extending from the end of a hose and into the water receptacle in the stand. In some cases, the conduit extends between the top of a water reservoir and the top of the tree stand, such that the conduit does not rest on the floor. In this case, the conduit may be unsightly because it is not hidden behind or under gift boxes and/or a decorative skirt that surrounds the base of the tree and the tree stand.
There also are devices with reservoirs shaped like holiday symbols, such as Santa boots and snowmen. However, these symbols tend to be less formal than the typical assortment of wrapped presents under a tree, and they may not fit into the desired decor and visual effect of the tree and/or the surrounding environment, particularly in an elegant setting.